This invention generally relates to handles for containers, and specifically to an improved apparatus and methods of assembly and use for such devices, which provide comfort, security, economy, and ease of operation to the user.
Frequently, people use containers to store, protect, manipulate, and transport various items, such as paint, water, sand, or any of a wide variety of other things and materials. To make these containers easier to use, handles are commonly provided, typically pivotably attached to the upper portion of opposed sidewalls of the container. These handles provide a relatively easy means for carrying the container as well as an easy method for pivoting the handle away from the opening of the container, to permit (for example) stacking of the container or access to the interior of the container. Such handles typically can pivot through a wide arc, from xe2x80x9cuprightxe2x80x9d (e.g., above the container) to xe2x80x9cdownxe2x80x9d against either side of the container. These handles also permit users to more readily hold and pivot the container to empty the contents from the container, or to scoop water, sand, or similar materials into the container.
Despite these positive attributes, current handles still lack several characteristics that provide increased comfort, economy, security, and ease of use to the user. One early example of such a handle is a metal bail xe2x80x9csecuredxe2x80x9d to holes on the side of a bucket by bending the ends of the bail through and around those holes (for example, see U.S. Pat. No. 308,343). Not only are such metal handles relatively difficult to assemble onto containers (metal that is sufficiently stiff to carry loads in the bucket are correspondingly difficult to bend into engagement with the holes), but the combination of such a metal handle on a plastic container or bucket can complicate recycling efforts as the container is being discarded after use. In addition, metal handles remain at least somewhat susceptible to damage from corrosion, although the risk of such damage can be reduced by selecting a normally more expensive metal.
Plastic bails overcome some of the shortcomings of metal bails, but typically include their own limitations. Among other things, they typically consist only of the bail element; the inventors are not aware of rotatable handgrips ever being provided on plastic handles. This limits their usefulness or at least their comfort during use, especially where repeated lifting and transporting of containers is required (e.g. without a rotatable handgrip, the handle can pinch and bind the user""s hand when attempting to carry, fill, or empty a container). Moreover, these plastic bails are typically extremely flexible and thus they may not be useful for carrying heavy loads or large containers (that flexibility focuses the heavy loads too greatly on the center portion of the user""s hand). Furthermore, even plastic bails that might be reinforced with stiffening elements (so as to not be too xe2x80x9cflimsyxe2x80x9d) still do not provide a separate or rotatable handgrip.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus and related methods that provide a comfortable and convenient handle and gripping portion for a user to carry, transport, and otherwise manipulate containers. The preferred embodiment of the invention constitutes an improved handle for a container in which the handle includes a plastic bail and a plastic sleeve to provide a comfortable gripping surface for manipulating the container.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a handle of the aforementioned character in which the bail or strap includes a plurality of structures to transmit and/or distribute load forces between the bail and the sleeve.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a handle of the aforementioned character in which the bail is pivotable with respect to the container, and the sleeve is rotatable about the bail, further including corresponding engagement structures on the bail and sleeve to retain the sleeve at a selected position along the lengthwise axis of the bail.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a handle of the aforementioned character in which the bail has a first end and a second end, and the bail includes a clip member adjacent at least one of the ends to engage with the container. The preferred clip member is configured with positioning means thereon for locating and engaging the handle in a selected position with respect to the container.
It is another object of the invention to provide a strap member for carrying and transporting a container in which the strap member includes at least one load-distributing structure for distributing load forces between the strap member and a surrounding generally cylindrical sleeve member.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a strap member of the aforementioned character wherein at least one of the load-distributing structures engages with one or more beads located on an inner surface of the sleeve member.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a strap member of the aforementioned character in which the strap member includes clip means having an elliptically shaped stem with at least one rib element on the stem to provide selectable positioning of the strap member when the strap member is engaged with a container.
It is another object of the invention to provide a sleeve member for a container handle wherein the sleeve member is retained along the length of a strap member by detent means located on the inner surface of the sleeve member.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a sleeve member of the aforementioned character wherein the retained sleeve member is rotatable about the strap member.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a clip element on an elongated container handle strap member wherein the clip element includes a wide portion and a narrow portion situated between the wide portion and the strap member, wherein the narrow portion includes at least one rib element thereon to provide selectable temporary positioning of the handle with respect to a container on which it is engaged.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a clip element of the aforementioned character in which the wide portion is configured to permit a rotatable sleeve to slide thereover for assembly on the container handle at a position spaced from the clip element. Depending on the respective sizes of the sleeve and the handle""s clip portion, one or the other may need to be shaped or configured to prevent interference between the two as the sleeve is slid over the clip.
It is still another object of the invention to provide an opening in a container to permit engagement of a handle therewith, in which the opening includes at least one groove to engage a corresponding rib on the handle.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a selectably positionable handle and container assembly, including positioning means such as corresponding mateable elements on each of the container and the handle, in which the container and the handle are formed from plastic and the corresponding mateable elements permit the handle to be positioned and retained with respect to the container in at least one selected position.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide the handle and container assembly of the aforementioned character in which the container includes at least one slot formed thereon for receiving a clip element formed on the handle, in which the mateable elements indude at least one interengageable groove and corresponding rib.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a method for assembling a plastic handle for use on a container including the steps of: a) sliding a plastic sleeve member over an elongated plastic strip member; and b) engaging one or more positioning beads on the inner surface of the sleeve member with corresponding engagement sites on the strap member.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a method of connecting a handle to a container including the steps of: a) providing an elongated strap having a clip member with a stem portion thereof having an elliptically-shaped cross-section; b) positioning the stem portion adjacent a slot formed on the container so that a shorter axis of the elliptically-shaped cross-section is generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the slot; c) sliding the stem portion through a narrow portion of the slot along that longitudinal axis of the slot while the axes are generally perpendicular to each other, into a wider portion of the slot; and d) rotating the stem portion so that the shorter axis of the elliptically-shaped cross-section is out of the generally perpendicular alignment with respect to the longitudinal axis of the slot.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of the aforementioned character, further including the steps of providing at least a pair of cooperating engaging members on the stem portion and the wider portion of the slot, and temporarily affixing the handle against rotation about the stem by engaging the cooperating engaging members.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a method of the aforementioned character, further including the steps of temporarily retaining the handle away from the container to permit various operations or handling relating to the container assembly, such as filling of, or printing on, the container.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a method of the aforementioned character, further including the step of assembling a cylindrical sleeve member on the elongated strap; and engaging the cylindrical sleeve member with the strap along the length thereof by engaging a positioning bead on the inner surface of the sleeve member with an engagement site on the strap.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a method of the aforementioned character wherein the steps are automated. Similar to other automated processes, including automation of container and strap fabrication and assembly, the benefits of the present product and method can be more fully realized or can be realized in different ways by automating same.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a bucket and handle combination including: a) a bail ear on the bucket; b) a clip element formed on the handle for engagement with the bail ear; and c) cooperating engagement means acting between the bail ear and the clip element whereby the handle can rotate through a range of movements with respect to the bucket and can be temporarily positioned into at least one selected position with respect to the bucket.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a bucket and handle combination of the aforementioned character in which the cooperating engagement means includes at least one locating groove in the bail ear opening and at least one rib or detent formed in a cooperating location on the clip element.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, which are for the purpose of illustration only.